


They used to be friends

by RebeccaAnabelBurrows



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:34:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23963203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebeccaAnabelBurrows/pseuds/RebeccaAnabelBurrows
Summary: Small scenes about Severus Snape and Lily Evans' friendship at Hogwarts.
Relationships: Lily Evans Potter & Severus Snape
Kudos: 4





	They used to be friends

“Do you think willow leaves could make the side effects of this potion less potent ?” a redhaired girl asked to her classmate.

The dark-haired kid seemed to assess her for a bit. He had known her before Hogwarts, but this was different. It was the first time they had had a class together.

“Maybe. But it may have a strong reaction when mixed with bat eyes if you’re not careful.” he answered.

The eleven year old puffed out her chest.

“What are you saying, Severus ? You think I can’t do it ? Watch it, kid. Some day I’ll amaze you.”

“I will not argue with that.” he mumbled.

*

Lily entered the classroom and took her seat next to her Slytherin friend.

“Hi, Sev. Do you have my Charms book ? I couldn’t find it this morning.”

Severus plunged his hand in his bag and gave her a purple book saturated with bookmarks.

“Here. You forgot it at the library yesterday.”

They had worked on their Herbology homework together and Severus had stayed a bit longer to finish his Charms essay while Lily had joined her Gryffindor roommates for some game.

“Thank you. You had an owl this morning at breakfast, was it from your parents ?” she asked.

He sighed. Of course she would notice.

“Things are a bit messy at home. My mother thinks it’s best if I stay here for the holidays. She says hello to you, by the way.”

He wasn't sure why he said it. His mother never wanted to hear about Hogwarts, not more than his father, and she probably couldn't remember Severus' best friend's name for dear life.

“Oh. Tell her - no, I’ll write to her. Her name’s Eileen, alright ?” she said, already planning the letter she was about to redact after this class.

Severus stopped her in the process.

“Lils, what are you doing ?”

Lily looked at him and cocked her head a bit, playing the innocent part so badly Severus wanted to laugh.

“Oh, sorry ! I didn’t ask you what you thought. Would you like to spend the holidays with my father and I ? Tuney is staying in Brighton with our cousin Anna and Mum is at my grandparents’ place to look after Grandma.”

Severus bit his lip. He didn't want her pity or charity, but the prospect of spending the holidays here, without Lily and probably with Black wasn't that enticing.

“It sounds -”

Lily clasped her hands.

“Please, say yes !”

“- great.” he said finally.

It was worth it just for the smile it put on her face.

*

“And this is Mary’s present. Awww, Earl Grey tea ? I am in love with that girl.” Lily moaned. 

Severus looked at her with amusement. Lily and her so British fondness for tea.

“Potter offers you a silver pendant and you’re in awe with some tea ?”

The redhead just shrugged.

“I am not much into jewels. Anyway, presents from my friends are my favorite. Some things are worth more than money.” she said pointedly. "Tea included."

*

“Ugh. Divination is so dull. I’d rather have a double class of History.”

“Or Potions. What wouldn’t I give to have Potions.” Severus groaned, as he tried to read Lily's palm.

“Even Herbology is good besides chiromancy. At least Sprout is competent. Why do we need to learn about Divination ? Like a prophecy was ever going to regent our life or something.” Lily said, rolling her eyes.

Severus laughed.

*

“Are you okay ? Macmillan told me about the incident ? Potter and Black are idiots.” Lily said, assessing the scratches on Severus' face and hugging him.

“Don’t worry, I can handle them.” 

*

It was obvious she had been crying when he found her behind the greenhouses. It was one of her favourite place, the bench just behind the third greenhouse. He just sat next to her, waiting. Letting her breathe and order her thoughts, deciding what she wanted to tell him and what she didn't.  
He could hold her in his arms but it wasn't their usual. Lily was the one who held him to comfort him, not the other way around. So he just sat next to her, close enough to let her lean into him if she wanted to. 

This time, she didn't.

“If something ever happened to me, you’ll be there for my family ?”

Severus didn't know what had prompted her request, what horror she had heard of or read about. However he was certain of one thing.

"I won't let anything happen to you." he said.

She didn't even smile, just closed her eyes tightly.

"Severus." she said.

She had taken his hand and was squeezing it hard. She seemed so strong - and yet. They weren't even fifteen.

He nodded.

“Always. I promise you.”

*

“Look at what I’ve found ! I was looking for a book for my Transfiguration essay and there was that one lying there - and, yes, this page ! How to teach a tea cup how to dance. Sounds good to me. Wanna try ?” a bouncing, overenthusiastic girl was saying, waving a heavy book in her right hand.

Her companion, sitting under a large oak tree, pushed back his book and transfigured two acorns into two flawless teacups as she sat next to him.

“First one who manages it wins a chocolate frog ?” he proposed.

Lily's eyes brightened.

“Deal.”

*

They were in the Astronomy tower. It was still cold there at this time of the year - both were wearing thick cloaks and Lily had transfigured her bracelets into heating cushions that would have made McGonagall proud. Severus was inventing some new potion - Lily sometimes joined him in this activity - and Lily was doing some Defense against the Dak Arts homework.  
They were facing each other, their gangly legs in black trousers spread in front of them, barely brushing.

“What do you think your patronus will be ? I hope mine is something a bit imposing - I have nothing against goldfish but - yeah, I don’t want it to be a goldfish.” Lily was saying.

“I am certain yours will be great.” Severus mumbled, crossing out a whole line on his sheet before going through an old Advanced Potions manual Lily and him had sneaked out of the Restricted section of the library.

Lily looked at the book a bit guiltily. The move had been too Slytherin-ish for her taste, but the end result was that they had access to a textbook much more interesting than the one for their year. Also, the Potions in this one were mostly harmless. And she had agreed when Severus had asked her. Helped him by distracting the librarian. 

She sighed, pushed back her hair from her face and looked back at her nearly finished essay. Before looking up at Sev again - this essay was a really dull one.

“I’d love it if mine could be a unicorn. Is it possible to have a unicorn Patronus ? What do you think ? You didn’t answer my question, what about your Patronus ?” she insisted.

More curious than a cat, her father often said. Well, he wasn't wrong. Severus barely raised his head from the stolen Potions textbook.

“Probably an Augurey.” he said.

Lily kicked his leg and Severus spilled the content of his ink bottle on him, on the floor and on his research. Oddly, the Potions book stayed unscathed, to their relief.

"Whatever was that for ?" Severus grumbled as he used Recurvite upon Recurvite to fix the mess his jerk had made.

There was ink everywhere, and Lily felt compelled to help him with it.

“Not an Augurey. You said they were bad. You’re not.” she said, squeezing his arm before giving him one of the unopened ink bottles in her schoolbag.

*

The two of them were camping in Lily's living-room. There were fluffy pillows in flowery pillowcases and woolen blankets everywhere. They've been lying on their matresses in the dark for a while, chatting lightly so they wouldn't wake up the rest of the family.  
Suddenly Lily had jumped on her feet and turned on a small lamp.

“Teach me how to play magic chess.” she had said to a blinking Severus, rummaging through a drawer.

“It’s 2 a.m.” he groaned, hiding his eyes with his arm theatrically.

She had laughed, he had shushed her. She had whispered a triumphant "there you are" before dropping a cardboard box with a chess set on Severus' chest.

"Ouch !"

"Sorry !" Lily said, looking absolutely not sorry in the dim light as she sat on Severus' mattress.

The teenager glared at her before letting his eyes fall on the board and the pieces. He had carved them and charmed them for her thirteenth birthday. He smiled briefly at the memory. Lily, impatient as ever, shook his arm.

“Come on, we’re on holidays !”

*

They were skipping stones on the lake and as usual, Severus was waiting for Lily's confession. Lily only insisted on throwing rocks when something was wrong. Severus indulged her, and she ended up confinding in him after some time, watching the still water of the lake.

“I am upset because of Tuney. I know what you think but she’s not really mean, you know.” she said.

Severus knew it was a lost cause with Lily, to try to make her see the bad in people.

“Really.”

It didn't seem much like a question, because Severus was much more skilled at seeing the bad in people, Lily's monster of a sister included.  
Lily glared at him but accepted the chocolate frog he offered her for comfort. She munched on it for a bit before starting her explanation.

“She used to read me stories. She taught me how to lace my shoes and colours’ names. She let me borrow her teddy bear when I had nightmares. She helped me with my homework when my parents were busy. She was a good sister… and then… Well, I did things that frightened her. If it weren’t for magic…”

She stopped there, sighing. Her eyes had darkened. Severus didn't say anything for a while, just let her lean against his shoulder. The apprehension was too strong to be contained, though.

“Do you regret it ?”

What he really meant was "do you regret Hogwarts ? do you regret our friendship ?". He really hoped she didn't.

“No. Magic is fun. And I have you and the girls here. Do you want to go inside ? It's getting cold.” she said, dragging him towards the castle. 

*  
“Can I have a lick ?”

“I thought you prefered lemon ?” Severus sighed, knowing he could not refuse her anything and that she knew that all too well.

Lily just smiled sweetly as she was wont to do in such cases and accepted the offered ice cream.

“Thank you, Sev. Pistache is good too.” she hummed.

*

Mudblood. The word resonated between them. It broke everything.


End file.
